


My Life's Mistake Set to Music

by luvscharlie



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Community: lover100, F/M, Family Drama, Fanfiction, Het, Infidelity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-15
Updated: 2010-10-15
Packaged: 2017-10-12 16:48:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/126974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvscharlie/pseuds/luvscharlie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What Hermione wouldn't give for a Time-Turner these days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Life's Mistake Set to Music

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Angst, Infidelity  
> Author's Notes: Thank you supergreak for the late night help and beta. You rock, babe!
> 
> Originally written for Round 1, Challenge 4 of the fwhg_ldws (Fred Weasley/Hermione Granger Last Drabble Writer Standing) competition where the prompt was lullaby, the drabble had to be under 650 words, and this one made it through to the next round.
> 
> Also used for these prompts on my tables: Consequence on potterprompts at Live Journal and Should of [sic] at lover100 on Live Journal

Hermione rolled to the opposite side of the bed seeking out his familiar warmth, but found it was lacking. Where, she wondered, had he gone. She sat up and rubbed at her eyes. These days, sleep was a rare and precious commodity. She might simply have rolled over and gone back to sleep had it not been for the fact that their door was open and the soft light of a candle's dim flicker could be seen down the hall. It was not a normal occurrence for her to sleep through her daughter's stirring.

She eased her tired body from the bed and padded in bare feet and her husband's old Quidditch jersey down the short hallway of their flat, not bothering to stop and don her dressing gown.

She reached the door to the nursery and heard the haunting echo of months gone by in the lullaby her husband hummed. It was Fred's own creation, and he had sung it to her on many nights after the war ended and sleep was elusive.

Of course, she had sought comfort many places those days… and in one face too many… one beautiful, scarred face.

The death and destruction she had witnessed firsthand during the Battle of Hogwarts had taken a toll. She had been sure it was Fred she had watched die that day. If only she had known it was George that had gone down, so many things would be different. She had tried to reason with her inner self that his hair was longer then, and George hadn't been turned so that she could see the missing ear and they were identical, after all. There was smoke, debris and chaos and—and… and all the rationalising changed nothing.

If only she hadn't run out when the battle was over; if only Bill hadn't followed.

Hermione could still feel the weight of Bill's lips on hers, the feel of his hands as they touched her seemingly everywhere at once, the cold feel of his wedding band as it grazed her cheek, and the sound of shame in his voice when he whispered that he was sorry as he collected her clothes and handed them to her.

She leaned against the doorframe of the nursery where the man she loved sat in the wooden rocker he had crafted himself upon learning of her pregnancy. Fred was rocking and humming _her_ lullaby to a child he believed was his own. As he rocked the infant with the shock of red hair so similar to his own, he opened his eyes as if he could feel the weight of her stare bearing down on him. He smiled and motioned her forward. She went eagerly to climb upon his knee, lean her head against his shoulder and bury her face in the warmth of his neck.

"I think she's finally asleep," Fred whispered. "We can put her back in her crib now."

She stood and allowed him to do so, then followed him from the nursery. They climbed beneath the blankets on their bed, and Fred pulled her tight against him.

How she wished they could stay like this forever. Hermione, however, was far from naïve. Eventually, both Bill and Fred would find out. Secrets had a way of coming out, and when that happened, hearts would break and lives would be shattered. How many people in this one family- a family she loved as her own- would be heartbroken by what happened on that one bittersweet night?

In the meantime, she planned to savour every moment she had with him. "Fred," she whispered. "Will you sing to me?"

He brushed her hair back from her face and began humming the familiar tune, then his lips found hers and she wished nothing more than for him to kiss it all away… at least for tonight.

~Fin.~

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